but there are lifts down to ground floor. Room was lovely, bathroom was clean and had a good power shower and large shower space. Gardens were very well tended and watered all the time. Had a sea view and the sunset here was gorgeous. Staff are very

friendly here and can have a good laugh with them. Will

come here again.

Loved this hotel!!!

from anonymous

This hotel was great!! The staff were so nice, especially the restaurant staff who treated us like kings (going to the local shop to buy extra diet coke because they knew we liked it, we didn't even need to ask). The themed buffets are amazing, lots of wonderful dishes and again great service!! We tried the on site indian restaurant which was amazing, one of the best I have ever had.

The rooms were good, always clean. The private beaches make this hotel as the rest of narma bay is overpopulated and you get rassle from local shop owners but there wern't any at Sofitel and each small private beach had a different feel. There was a sports beach, a swimmers beach and sun bathers beach (which was always quiet and very relaxing). You must bring a snorkle as the fish and coral are breath-taking, we spent hours floating!!!!

They offer a wide range of trips and sports activities from the shack near the pool area(all of which are cheaper than the ones the reps will offer you), the best we went on were the glass bottomed boat and the quad biking through the desert (we did this twice).

The only small issue my partner had was that our room was near the pool and at about 9.30/10.00 every morning an 'entertainment team' would start signing their 'theme song' around the pool on a microphone and start water activities, so if you enjoy a lie in (as we do) ask for a room away from the pool. Also the same 'entertainment team' does a very good, but noisy show most nights so if you have young children who want to go to bed early I advice you to again ask for a room away from the pool/stage area.

Gave up on the Sofitel

from anonymous

We knew as soon as we arrived at the Sofitel that it was not of 5star standard and in fact asked to be moved the following morning. I agree that the hotel looks nice but the rooms have seen better days. The bathroom badly needed upgrading. The radio consol was hanging off the wall with the switches melted. The breakfast room was dark but perhaps this was to conseal the birds which were flying about. The staff made attempts to keep the food covered but this was impossible as kids would not replace the covers. We were shown two other rooms but they were just the same, just with nicer views. We asked to be moved and went to the Hilton Dreams which lived up to earlier reviewers comments. If it is views or the beach that you want this is the place, but you won't find the rooms pleasant at all.

Good facilities but hotel needs attention

from anonymous

We stayed at the Sofitel in June of this year, and it wasn't quite what we had expected from its 5* billing and previous reviews.

PLUS'S:

Design - The design of the hotel is authentic Egyptian and the building looks great from the outside.

Beaches / Pool - Hotel has 4 private beaches and they was never a shortage of sun beds. Excellent Snorkelling / Diving straight off the beach. Pool is large and kept clean. Dont bother taking your own beach towels as they provide them for you.

Diving - The Red Sea is a great place to dive and the Sofitel has its own dive centre with excellent instructors who all speak English.

Food - Indian Restaurant was very good. The dishes arent the same as back home - e.g. Jalfrezi had no chillies in, but very nice all the same. I would recommend this. Other food within the hotel was not the best quality. Room service and the pool / horizon bars are ok for a stale cheese toastie but thats about it.

Staff - Reception, Bar and Entertainments Staff all did a good job of making guests feel welcome.

MINUS'S:

Rooms - The rooms are all sea facing with balconies. However, try to avoid the very top floor of the ground as the blaconies are very small on those floors. 2nd or 3rd floors have the best views. The condition of the rooms could only be described as 'tired'. They were more like that of a 2-3* hotel -very basic. The bathrooms were particularly scuzzy with mould in the shower. We changed rooms and both bathrooms were in similar condition.

Food - The food in the main buffet restaurant was passable, but not great value if you were not staying half board. I think about 170EGP (£17) per person. With the exception of the excellent Indian (mentioned above), food on the hotel complex was not the best quality. Room service and the pool / horizon bars are ok for a stale cheese toastie but thats about it.

Magazine Sellers - If you want to pay £4 for 2 day old 'Daily Mail' then go and see the 'friendly' sellers at their stand by the hotel pool. If you are prepared to pay this then make sure you have the correct change. If you give them a larger note they will tell you that they dont have change and will bring it back to you in 10 minutes. This happened to us the first time, and 'suprise, suprise' he never came back with the change. And didn't seem to have any whenever I asked him. In the end after a heated exchange (the next day, when he tried to sell me another paper!!) I got my money. The second time another one tried the same trick. This time I refused to buy it until he found the £6 change. And guess what? - he suddenly found it in his pocket. I found it disappointing that the hotel allow this to go on. You kind of expect that people will blatantly trying to rip you off on the streets, but in a 5* hotel this shouldn't happen. Do they think we've never been abroad before. In summary, do not buy from these people - they WILL try to rip you off in any way possible. Sorry to harp on about this minor point but it just really wound me up.

In summary, I would class the hotel as a decent 3 star in its current state, with 4 star potential. I'm not a proffessional hotel reviewer (as you've no doubt guessed), but there is no way in my view that this hotel is 5 star standard. Having said that we got a good deal with Longwood Holidays so didnt pay 5 star prices. If you asked would I go back to the Sofitel, Sharm El Sheikh? Personally, no I wouldn't, but it wasn't that bad.

Badly jinxed...but had great time.

from anonymous

We went with our two kids, 6 and 2yrs and the mother-in-law in August 2004. We had a nice time, but there were a few problems. Our flight was delayed 24hrs due to our plane being stuck in Florida while a hurricane battered the state, that's life!

Rooms - Nice, cool and perfectly formed...remember it's Eygpt. We had a nice view of the Red Sea from the balcony, but we didn't use it, just too hot. Room service was very good and not that pricey.

Staff - friendly and happy. We should have been sent a half board voucher with our tickets by Longwood Holidays, and this was to be given to the hotel on arrival. We didn't get one and this caused Egypt to grind to a halt!! The hotel tried to get us to sign the evening meals to our room, which on further questioning would have resulted in us paying for them at the end of our stay. We refused to do this and I produced the holiday confirmation invoice and the matter was eventually sorted out the following afternoon, but not until after I paid for a phone call to speak to the Longwood rep, who was not worth contacting.

Pool/beach - The Red Sea was amazing, full of many fish, rays and coral. Great snorkleling. Never had a problem getting a lounger on the beach with shade, most people stayed by the pool?? There was a small opening created in the coral, so people could walk into the sea. Do not walk on the coral or feed the fish, they will not tolerate it and almost called police on one family. Theres not much else to say...perfect beach holiday.

Food - Well my mother got food poisoning and only really had a two day holiday...again please remember it's not home and you can get food poisoning from almost any country. The food was ok, plenty of it, stick to the hot cooked food and you should be fine. I did the opposite and had lots of salad, but no food poisoning for me.

Walked down to Namma Bay, it was reminisent of Tenerife, touts trying to get you into their bars, hotels crammed together and a packed beach. Quickly headed back to our peaceful hotel with it's secluded private beach.

The youngest child got chicken pox on the day we arrived...not that our trip was jinxed!! The doctor was great, spoke perfect english and we were told where to go for lotions and how much things should cost.

We will go back to Sharm, probably stay in a different hotel, but only for variety.....would strongly advise choosing a hotel with a private beach, with direct access to the sea, not jumping from a jetty.

Enjoyable & Peaceful

from global2

If you are looking for the more peacful and private beach, this is the place. The hotel shares a promenade with the rest of the hotels where good reasonably priced food and loud entertainment is available.

You have to request a room with a good view though but ensure that your room does not have a door to the adjoining room as it can be very noisy if you have neighbours.

Uneven

from anonymous

Antiquated room, unequal service, average food. It deserves 3 stars. Best thing are the 4 hotel's private beaches, but you better rush at 7 a.m. to cover the chairs with your towels if you expect to find a place. Some people monopolise them all day long without going there. Food like almost everywhere is disgusting. Best restaurant is The indian in The Camel hotel in Na'ama Bay. Weather and water temperature are fantastic.

Fantastic hotel, awesome vacation!

from aussietraveller

We have just returned from a week at the Sofitel Hotel in Naama Bay. Having not been to Sharm before we really did not know where to stay. The hotel was recommended by friends who had stayed before.

Every room has a view of the ocean, with its own private balcony. There are 3 beaches for sofitel guests only, with sunbeds spaciously spread, unlike many of the other hotels we saw in Naama Bay. You can snorkel off the beach. The hotel had huge gardens, a gorgeous pool, and a big choice of extra activities such as tennis, gym, and horse riding (they have their own stables).

There are 3 restaurants on-site. We took an all inclusive package. The food was great, fresh and there was lots of choice. All have views of the ocean and the option to eat outside. Staff were great and always happy to help with any requests.

The hotel is 15min walk to the centre of Naama Bay along the oceanfront. Very romantic for walks after dinner! Also the horizon bar at Sofitel is great for cocktails at sunset with a view over the whole bay.We had a wonderful time and will definitely return.

Beautiful views from the Sofitel

from Pennybobs

The sofitel in Sharm was a great surprise , the rooms have very high ceilings with lovely Egyptian furniture. all with a balcony with beautiful views overlooking Naama Bay. The hotel and grounds have a very spacious feel particular around the large swimming pool.The very efficient and friendly staff can not do enough to help you. The whole complex is very well kept and clean. Although i was very wary about the good reports on the Indian restaurant in the Sofitel I can confirm that it is one of the best ever and certainly worth a visit even if you dont stay at the hotel. I cant wait to go back to the Sofitel

TripAdvisor Reviews Moevenpick Resort Sharm El Sheikh Sharm El-Sheikh

Outstanding

Travel Blogs from Sharm El-Sheikh

3 Continents in 4 days, not bad! So after Kate's major stress about the Egyptian visa situation, it turns out that you just play dumb an the super friendly Egyptians will let you in! It's a pay on arrival system that is in the process of being changed, a note to anyone thinking of travelling to Egypt, bring some US dollars it will get you far. So Sharm el Sheikh looks like MARS! it has the most bizarre landscape that falls into the Red Sea ...

Sitting by the pool enjoying the wonderful atmosphere. All the staff here are so friendly and know you by name. My husband booked his diving yesterday. I will book myself some spa treatments I think when he is away. The spa is fantastic. Not cheap but really good. I love this place. It's been so good not having to worry about jobs and so on. We can just relax and enjoy the weather and the good food. Italian ...

It was a bit of a late night last night. A lot to drink and the sheer excitement of being here. Woke up early this morning. Went out on the balcony and saw people putting their towels down. This was at 7am. Now sitting by the pool in the sun. Oh it's hot. But di beautiful just as I remember it. Same faces even. My arabic comes in handy. Off for a ...

... not sure how they picked out this spot because we did not see many Russians at the main tourist sites like Giza or Luxor. They definitely make the most of the alcohol side of the all-inclusive and I think it is funny that they are still white as a ghost when returning to Russia. There is also a part of Sharm that is built like the kremlin in Moscow and has all the same tops. We passed through it on one of our day trips and I thought it was pretty ...

... cheek and talk to him in a attempt to wake him up. Just when I think I'm going to have to try a bucket of cold water or a slap his eyes slit open. His hands and arms still out far to the sides and slightly up (no where near me) he blinks and stares at me. Still talking, he continues to stare at me as you would if you were to wake up with something, not entirely pleasent resting on your chest. That whole "I dont want to touch it to remove it, but I can't believe ...